Card shuffling aid



Aug. 17, 1954 c. 1.. SHEDD CARD SHUFFLING AID Filed Nov. 29, 1950 Suvcntor CHARLES L. SHEDD 2 Gttorneg Patented Aug. 17, 1954 UNITED STATES @ATENT OFFICE CARD SHUFFLING AID Charles L. Shedd, Girardville, Pa. Application November 29, 1950, Serial No. 198,166 17 Claims. (Cl. 273-149) This invention relates to a new and improved card shuffling aid and has particular reference to a device for use in shufflng playing cards, which device is relatively simple in construction and utilization and which can be relatively inexpensive in cost.

An object of the invention is to provide a device which may be employed by card players for aiding them in quickly and effectively shuffling one or more decks of playing cards.

Another object is to provide a device of the character set forth which has no moving parts and which is relatively simple in construction and utilization and which can be made inexpensively.

Cther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as the preferred form has been given by way of illustration only.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top or plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the device shown embodying the invention comprises a base 16 having a series of thin, spaced, substantially parallel dividers or guides ll located lengthwise thereon and the end or stop I 2.

The form, spacing and arrangement of the dividers or guides H on base It] is such as to provide the card player with the necessary means for mixing one or more decks of playing cards more quickly and effectively than most card players can do manually.

The length of the guides or dividers H is preferably approximately one and one third that of the playing cards which allows one group of rifiled cards to lie in the rest position against stop It) and yet give no interference with a new lot of cards being rifiled. This is clearly shown in Fig. 2. 1

The height of the dividers or guides I I is pref erably enough less than the width of the playing cards to support them in an upright position facilitating the mix or shufile of the cards, also making it easy to remove the cards when shuiiling is completed.

The dividersor guides I l preferably are spaced apart a sufficient distance to allow the positioning of a number of cards between adjacent guides and are formed as shown with the rounded sloping end portions l3, with the end of each being somewhat lower than the guide next to it, that is, the ends are progressively varying in size from one side of the device to the other, preferably progressively increasing in size from left to right when the device is viewed from the front, which is the form shown, although the order could be reversed, and thus the end portions i3 provide a series of downward, graduated, rounded and spaced edges to intercept the cards, one or more at a time, as the cards are riified against the guides or dividers, as hereinafter described.

The inner or upper contour of base I 6, between adjacent guides or dividers i I has at the end adjacent the end portions 58, a raised or curved portion 34 over which the cards may be slid, when riiiied to position them against stop or end [5 at which time the bottom of the cards are in the depression 56 in base Iii and are held against shoulder ll in said base at one side of their lower edges and stop l5 on their opposite sides while the remaining cards are riflied. From this it will be seen that the upper contour of base it is such as to hold the cards against stop I5 while riiiling or shuffling other groups of cards without interference between the cards rifiled and those being rifiled.

The top portion is of guides H, adjacent stop 85, can be of desired contour, although it has been found that the rounded contour shown provides a construction facilitating the handling of the cards for inserting or removing them from the device. With this portion [8 curved in both directions the moving of the cards in either direction is facilitated.

The number of guides i i which are provided and therefore the number of slots formed between such guides is optional and depends on the number of decks of cards to be shufiied at a time. I have found that a device with twelve slots can be used satisfactorily for either one, two, three or four decks of cards.

The device should preferably have means to prevent its sliding on the table top, such as a cover of felt or other adherent material or feet of rubber or other adherent material.

The device can be made in one piece by casting or moulding of synthetic resins, glass, fibrous pulps, ceramic clays, various metals or other materials capable of being cast. or molded with secticns as thin as one-sixteenth to one-thirty-secondof an inch without warping. If desired, how- 3 ever, the device could be constructed by the assembly of preformed parts although this would probably be a more expensive method of manufacture than the casting or molding method.

The dividers or guides ll might be made, with Webs so as to reduce the amount of material required and to prevent warping.

Position A shows cards It when rifiled into the slots, position B shows the cards being pushed into rest position and position C shows the cards in rest position against stop l5.

Toshufiie cards with the device of the present invention, there is required only simple finger movements already common amongst card players and which can be readily learned by the inexperienced.

The procedure is as follows:

The deck or decks of cards to be shuffled are separated into lots of five, ten, fifteen cards or more. Experience will dictate the quantity which each player can handle most easily.

Holding a lot of cards adjacent opposite ends between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, work th'eih by a bending and sliding motion so they move from top to bottom. This motion separates the botto nedges of the cards evenly one from another and places them in position for riilling against the edges of the shuiiier guides. The lower edges of the cards should be separated approximately one sixteenth to one quarter of an inch depending upon the number of cards in a group.

The following description is for the use of the device with the uides progressively graduated in the direction shown in the drawing If the devibe is progressively graduated in the opposite direction, the hands employed would be reversed.

Holding the separated cards with the right thumb and forefinger, they are riiiied against the rounded and downward graduated edges of the guides i3- hy letting the lower edges of the cards slide as the middle finge s of the left hand into register with the guides.

in acontinuousmotion all or a portion of the i-filed cards are then released from the grip of the" right lingers and with a forward movement are slid into the slots of the shuffler and perinittedi t'o rest against the open palm of the right A forward motion of the right hand will then slide the rii'lled cards into-the rest position in the slots against the stop, the design of the base being such as to facilitate this action.

have been r-iiiied at which time all of the cards are in groups in the slots.

" as each succeeding lot of cards is riffled, they itl'eiilli-led with or are permitted to come to rest beside those from previously rifiied lots already in the slots.

1 V With the left hand; all of the shuffled cards can then be easily removed simultaneously as a-- deck by rocking them forward out of the slots through the free ends of the slots. The cards iiotv freely in or out of the slots because ofjthe contour of the base as previously described;

Until a player has developed skill in rifilingand mixing the cards, it may be that more than one 4 Such groups of cards can be readily removed from the slot and re-riilied when desired.

It will often be found desirable to re-riiile one half of the entire quantity of cards into the other half to assure most thorough shufiling.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple, efiicient and economical means for obtaining all of the objects and advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A card shufiling aid comprising, a member having side walls, a stop forming one end and an open top and end, a plurality of guides in said member extending substantially parallel to said side walls and extending from said stop to said open end, said guides having portions of their upper surfaces of substantially similar shape and height. and having other portions thereof adjacent their free ends progressively varying in height but of substantially similar contour.

2. A card shufiling aid comprising, a member having side walls, a stop forming one end and an open top and end, a plurality of guides in said member extending substantially parallel to said side walls, said guides extending from said stop to said open end and said guides having portions of their upper surfaces of substantially similar shape and height and having other portions thereof adjacent their free ends progressively varying in height but of substantially similar contour; each of the spaces between adjacent guides being of sufficient size to receive a plurality of cards.

3. A card shutting aid comprising, a member having a step forming one end and an open top side and an open end, a plurality of substantially parallel spaced dividers, dividing said member into a plurality of sections, said dividers having portions thereof of substantially the same height and having portions adjacent their free ends progressively graduated downwardly, said momher having a bottom wall of varying inner contour tapering upwardly from said open end toward said stop and having a downwardly inclined retaining portion whereby the cards may be slid toward said stop and retained in position against said stop.

4. A card shufiiing aid comprising; a member having side walls, a stop formingone end and an open top and end, a plurality of guides in said member extending substantially parallel to said side walls, said guides having portions-of their upper surfaces of substantially similar shape and height and having other portions thereof adjacent their free ends progressively varying in size but of substantially similar contour,- said member havinga bottom tva'll of varying inner contour tapering upwardly from said openend toward said stop and having a downwardly irrcline'd retaining portion whereby the-cards may 7 be slid toward said stop and retained in position against said step.

5. A cardshuffling aid comprising, a member--- 7 having a stop forming one end and an open topside andan open end, a plurality of spaced -'divid ers; dividing said memberintc a plurality. of sections,'saiddividershaving portions thereof of substantially the same height and having-por tions adjacent their free ends progressively grador-two cards from given lot will fall 'intothe same slot, which does not produce the .best shone.

ua'ted downwardly, each of saidsections-betwee'n said guides being 0'1" sufli'ci'ent size toreceivea plurality of cards, said member havinga bottom Wall Of varying inner contour tapering (112)- wardly from said open end toward said step andhav-in'g, a downwardly inciined. retainingportion whereby the cards may be slid toward said stop and retained in position against said stop.

6. A card shuffling aid comprising, a, member having side walls, a stop forming one end and an open top and end, a plurality of guides in said container extending substantially parallel to said side walls, said guides having portions of their upper surfaces of substantially similar shape and height and having other portions thereof adjacent their free ends progressively varying in height but of substantially similar contour, each of the spaces between adjacent guides being of sufficient size to receive a plurality of cards, said member having a bottom wall of varying inner contour tapering upwardly from said open end toward said stop and having a downwardly inclined retaining portion whereby the cards may be slid toward said stop and retained in position against said stop.

'7. A card shufliing aid comprising, a member having a bottom and side walls, a plurality of guides positioned between said side walls and substantially parallel thereto, and dividing said member into a plurality of sections, a stop adjacent one end of said guides, said guides having curved upper surfaces with portions of substantially similar height and adjacent portions progressively varying in height but of generally similar contour to allow the cards to be rifiied thereover and allow the cards to be separated into a plurality of said sections, said member having a bottom wall of varying inner contour tapering upwardly from said open end toward said stop and having a downwardly inclined retaining portion whereby the cards may be slid toward said stop and retained in position against said stop.

8. A card shuffling aid comprising, a member having a stop forming one end, and having an open top and an open end, a plurality of substantially parallel spaced dividers, said dividers extending from said stop to said open end and dividing said member into a plurality of sections, said dividers having portions adjacent said open end progressively graduated downwardly, said portions of adjacent dividers being of similar contour but of graduated heights.

9. A card shufliing aid comprising, a member having a stop forming one end, and having an open top and an open end, a plurality of substantially parallel spaced dividers, said dividers extending from said stop to said open end and dividing said member into a plurality of sections, said dividers having portions of substantially the same height, and having portions adjacent said open end progressively varying in height, each or" said sections between said dividers being of sufficient width to receive a plurality of cards.

is. A card shuffling aid comprising, a member having a stop forming one end, and having an open top and an open end, a plurality of spaced dividers, dividin said member into a plurality of sections, said dividers having portions thereof of substantially the same height and having portions adjacent the open end progressively graduated downwardly, said member having a bottom wall the contour of which tapers upwardly from said open end toward said stop and has a downwardly inclined retaining portion whereby the cards may be slid toward said stop to retain the cards against the stop while shuflling and to allow the cards to be removed simultaneously as a deck upon completion of the shufiling.

11. A card shufliing aid comprising, a member havin side walls, a stop forming one end, the

other end and the top being open, a plurality of guides in said member extending substantially parallel to said side walls, said guides having portions of their upper surfaces of substantially similar height and shape and having other portions thereof adjacent their free ends progressively varying in height but of substantially similar contour, said member having a bottom wall including a tapered portion, the slope of said taper bein upwardly from said open end, then downwardly at an angle to said tapered portion to allow the cards to slide endwise toward said stop and to retain the cards against said stop while further shuiiling is being performed and to allow the cards to be removed simultaneously as a deck.

12. A card shuffling aid comprising, a, member having a stop forming one end and having an open top and an open end, a plurality of spaced dividers dividing said member into a plurality of sections, said dividers having portions thereof of substantially the same height and havin portions adjacent their free ends progressively graduated downwardly, each of said sections between said dividers being of sufiicient width to receive a plurality of cards, said member having a bottom wall including a slopingportion sloping upwardly from said open end thence downwardly at an angle to said sloping portion to join said stop portion to retain the cards against said stop while shufiiing and to allow the cards to be removed simultaneously as a deck.

13. A card Shllffiil'lg aid comprising, a member having side walls, a stop forming one end and having an open top and an open end, a plurality of guides in said member extending substantially parallel to said side walls, said guides having portions of their upper edges of substantially similar shape and height and having other p01- tions thereof adjacent the open end of said member progressively varying in height but of substantially similar contour, each of the spaces between adjacent guides being of sufficient width to receive a plurality of cards, said member having a bottom wall including a tapered portion the contour of which tapers upwardly from said open end, then downwardly at an angle to said tapered portion to bias the cards against said stop while shufflin and to allow the cards to be removed simultaneously as a deck.

14. A card shuflling aid comprising, a member having a bottom and side walls, a plurality of guides positioned between said side Walls and substantially parallel thereto, and dividing said member into a plurality of sections, a stop adjacent one end of said guides, said guides extending from said stop to the other end. of said member and having curved upper edges with portions of substantially similar height adjacent said stop and portions progressively varying in height but of generally similar contour to allow the cards to be riffled thereover and to allow the cards to be separated into a plurality of said sections.

15. A card shuffling aid comprising, a member having a bottom and side Walls, a plurality of guides positioned between said side walls and substantially parallel thereto, and dividing said member into a plurality of sections, a stop adiacent one end of said guides, said guides extending from said stop to the other end of said member and having curved upper surfaces with portions of substantially similar height and hav- 111g portions progressively varying in height but of generally similar contour to allow the cards to be riiiied thereover and allow the cards to be sepaarse -e75 7 rated into a plurality of said sections, each oi said sections between :said guides being of .su'iiicient width to receive a plurality of cards.

16. A card shuttling aid comprising, a member having a bottom and side walls, a plurality of guides positioned between said side walls and substantially parallel thereto, and dividing said member into a plurality of sections, "a stop adjacent one end of :said guides, said guides having curved upper surfaces with portions of substantially similar height and adjacent portions progressively varying in height but of generally similar contour to allow the cards to be riffled thereoverandallow the cards to be separated into a plurality of said sections, the inner contour of said bottom wall tapering from the ends of said guides adjacent said portions of the guides progressively varyingin height toward said stop 7 and having a retaining portion between said tapered portion and said stop to support the cards substantially upright while shufiling and to allow the cards to be removed simultaneously as a-deekh 1?. A card shuffling aid comprising, a member havin .a bottom and side Walls, a plurality of guides positioned between and substantially 8 7 parallel to said :side walls to divide said member into a plurality of sections, a stop adjacent one end of said guides, said guides having curved upper edges with portions of substantially similar height and adjacent portions progressively varying in height but of generally similar contour to allow the cards to be riflled thereover and allow the cards to be separated into a plurality of said sections, the inner contour of said bottom tapering from the end of said guides remote from said stop toward said stop and having a retaining portion to support the cards against said step and to allow the cards to be removed as a deckby tipping them out of the sections. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Na-me 7 Date 532,619 Vl'hite M Jan. 15,, 1895 681,232 Mautz Apr. 20, 1897 857,992 Gaunt Feb. 4-, 1908 1,028,286 Schmidt June 4, 1912 1,712,313 Wood May 7; 1929 1,772,438 Cubberly Aug. '5, 1930 2,033,4 l'7 Proctor a- Mar. 10, 1936 

